He's A Troublemaker
by ClockworkAssassin
Summary: [AC Syndicate] Alexander Bell meets Jacob Frye. The rest, as they say, is history. Jacob/Bell, but slow-building.
1. In Which Jacob Meets An Inventor

_A/N: My first Jacob/Bell fic! Hopefully you folks enjoy. To be continued._

_Content warnings: swearing, violence, period homophobia, and eventual mild to moderate smut. It's probably not too bad, but I'm going to file it under M just to be safe._

* * *

_I: In which Jacob meets an inventor_

The soft _tip-taps _of Alexander Bell's machinery were becoming almost like music. He knew every sound like an old friend, and he smiled to himself as he scribbled in his notebook, listening to the melodic rattling and humming of the telegraphs and inventions that littered his laboratory. To an outsider, it would have looked like a chaotic, disorganized mess; to Bell, who knew every bit, babble and bauble by heart, it was home.

But today was an unusual day, if his days could even be considered unusual anymore. He'd received a missive from Henry Green, telling him to expect some "friends" over this afternoon. He had no idea when these friends would be coming, or what they wanted from him, or even who they were - but if he was perfectly honest with himself, he couldn't wait. It had been a long time since he'd had anything resembling friends, let alone friends who voluntarily chose to come and see him in their free time, and he had anxiously debated whether to make tea or crumpets or clean the house or - my, my, he was getting ahead of himself. He sighed and resumed scribbling, wondering if there would ever be a day when he wasn't so dreadfully lonely.

And then he heard a pleasant knock on the door. _That must be them, _he thought, trying to hide his excitement as he hastily put the notebook down, straightened his bow tie, coughed to get out his nerves, and then went to answer it.

He opened the door to find Henry Green, as expected, and two people behind him; he couldn't see who they were from this angle. "Hello, Aleck," Henry said, with a cordial nod. "I've brought you some guests. May we come in?"

"Of course," Aleck said hastily, holding the door open so they could enter. Henry stepped inside first, his regal white-and-gold robes swishing gently as he moved; next came a tall, slender woman in sharply contrasting red-and-black robes, who gave him a friendly smile and extended a hand.

"Evie Frye, at your service," she said, in a cultured British accent - obviously she'd grown up with an education. "I've heard so much about you. Forgive us if we're intruding."

"No, not at all! It's a pleasure to meet you, lass." Aleck beamed earnestly, shaking her hand with as much vigor as he could muster; he was happy to have guests, and even happier to meet a fan. And then his eyes traveled to his third guest, and his heart leapt in his throat. _Oh, sweet Lord. _Of all the things he'd been expecting today, this was certainly not one of them.

His final visitor was a dashing, dark-haired man in a coat and top hat, brown eyes twinkling playfully from under the brim of his hat. He was tall, dark, handsome, and judging from the way he smirked, he knew exactly what Alec was thinking about. Aleck stared at him helplessly for a good five seconds, and felt his heart jackhammering frantically in his chest. _Say hello, say hello, blast you! _"Er," he managed, valiantly. "Hello."

To his relief, the man picked up the slack, grinning cheekily. "Jacob Frye," he said, and took his hat off for a playful bow. "Also at your service."

"It's - it's very nice to meet you," Aleck stuttered; he was so nervous he could barely speak. "Er - would you like to come in as well?"

"Oh, of course." The man breezed inside easily, hanging up his top hat and setting his cane by the door; but he traded a clever, knowing look with Aleck that made the inventor blush furiously and avert his eyes. Clearly Jacob Frye was very aware of how fast the poor man's heart was racing, and he was not at all averse to the attention.

_By the bleedin' Christ,_ Aleck thought weakly, trying to get a handle on himself. _What's wrong with me?_ He didn't normally react like this, not even to the most handsome men in London, but there was something about that sly glimmer in Jacob's eyes and the way he looked shining in the morning sun that made his heart do flip-flops of excitement. _Here _was the most handsome man in London, and by God if he wasn't wrong.

"Aleck," Henry said, startling him out of his thoughts; Aleck hastened to return his attention to Green, despite how difficult it was to tear his gaze away from the younger Frye. "I have something of a favor to ask of you. How familiar are you with repairs?"

"Oh, very familiar," Aleck said hastily, forcing himself to ignore his thundering heart; he felt like his knees could turn to jelly at any moment. "I can fix anything from a train to a telegram pole, don't you worry." _What a stupid metaphor, _he scolded himself, his social anxiety kicking into high gear as he frantically wondered if that had been the correct thing to say. _He's going to think you're an idiot._

"Well, that's excellent," Henry said, "because -"

But Jacob cut him off, stepping forward and offering something that looked like a broken device of some kind. "Can you fix this?" he asked, and met Aleck's eyes with a twinkling, mischievous look. He looked so devilishly handsome in that moment that Aleck could barely bring himself to look at the device instead of him.

"Er - I can try, yes." Aleck took the object carefully, and as he did, his hand just barely brushed against Jacob's, which set all kinds of new thoughts careening through his head. He mentally shook himself as he brought the device over to a table to examine it; it seemed to be some kind of grappling gun, designed for hooking into roof shingles.

"Hmm," he hummed, his inventor's mind lighting up with ideas. "Looks like the casing is cracked." He picked up a tool and began to work at it idly - then, to his surprise, part of it popped off and clattered to the floor.

_Oh, damn you, _he snapped at himself internally, as he scrambled to pick up the pieces. He was making himself look like a fool in front of - no, he must not dwell on that. "It comes apart," he said, sheepishly.

Jacob grinned. "Found that out the hard way, did you?"

Aleck tried not to smile, even though his heart screamed at him, _oh God, he's talking to you, say something clever! _"It seems that I did," he said, and mentally sighed. Why did his wit always fail him in front of people he was attracted to?

Well, there was no helping it now. "I say," he muttered to himself, as he turned his attention back to the grappler, "I could have used one of these to fit my fuses on top of Big Ben."

"Aleck is installing a new telegraph line for our Free Press Association, to combat the Starrick Telegraph Company," Henry explained, and Evie nodded thoughtfully. Jacob, however, had his gaze fixed on the inventor, and unbeknownst to Aleck, who had his back turned, Evie noticed and elbowed him sharply in the ribs.

"Ow!" Jacob hissed, rubbing his chest indignantly. "What was that for?"

"Stop staring at him," Evie whispered angrily. "He's going to think you've gone mad."

"I was just -"

"Shut it." Evie returned her attention to Aleck, clearing her throat politely. "Is there any way we can help, Mr. Bell?"

"Well, if you can mend the fuses connecting Independent lines from Big Ben, Starrick will be weakened," Aleck mused as he worked on the grappler. "Only, we are at somewhat of a handicap." He sheepishly waved his bandaged hand, then grinned as a final part of the mechanism snapped into place. "And - there!"

"You fixed it?" Jacob asked eagerly, before Evie could speak; clearly he was excited to try it out.

"I believe I have." He hopefully offered the fixed grappler to Jacob, then reconsidered, blushing. "Er - I've removed the mechanism so it may work with your bracer."

To his immense excitement, Jacob grinned and extended his hand, turning his gauntlet upward for Aleck's inspection. "I'm all yours, Aleck," he said.

God, he loved the way Jacob said it. Trying very hard not to blush, Aleck carefully attached the mechanism to Jacob's bracer, and felt the slightest bit of disappointment when Jacob pulled his hand back to admire the result. He grinned, clearly delighted. "Excellent," he said. "I'll put it to use immediately."

"Jacob, wait," Evie said, pointedly. "Mr. Bell, allow me to help you with your fuses."

Aleck's heart stopped. She was offering to go by herself? If he guided her there and came back, that would leave him alone with... He tried not to sound as eager as he felt. "Oh, you will not find me too proud to accept, Miss Frye. We can use my carriage. If you'd be so kind as to hold the reins, though?"

Evie smiled, plucking the grappler out of Jacob's gauntlet as she followed him outside. "I'll take that," she said. Jacob sighed theatrically as they left.

When they were outside, Aleck relaxed slightly, trying to make casual conversation. "Miss Frye, I am so glad you could assist me," he said, as Evie climbed gracefully into the driver's seat of the carriage. He hastened to clamber up into the passenger side. "You are my most pleasant surprise of the week."

"Am I?" Evie teased, lightly. "Because it seems like you only have eyes for my brother."

Aleck blushed up to his ears. Evie laughed, a melodic sound.

"Don't worry," she said. "I've known about Jacob for a long time. You're not the first man to succumb to his charms."

"I do apologize," Aleck muttered abashedly, as Evie snapped the reins and started the carriage down the road. "I'll try my best to contain myself. I wouldn't presume -"

"Oh, come off it." Evie gave him a deeply amused look. "You don't think I'm fixing these fuses out of charity, do you? I figured you two could use some time to get to know each other while I'm gone."

Aleck's eyes widened as the realization hit him. "You _knew?"_

"I'm much smarter than I let on, Mr. Bell." Evie smiled wryly as she turned her gaze back to the road. "You'd do well to remember that from now on."

"Of course," Aleck mumbled; he could feel his face burning. "You're very discerning, Miss Frye."

"I was always the smart one," she said, with a distinct air of amusement.

They stopped the carriage in front of Big Ben, and Evie jumped gracefully off, quirking an amused eyebrow at Aleck as she scoped out the fuse boxes. "Go on, then," she said. "I'll be fine here."

Aleck snapped the reins and drove the carriage off with a vengeance, trying to contain his excitement as he guided the horses back to the laboratory. His heart rattled as he dismounted and opened the door, praying that Henry had left by now.

Sure enough, he found Jacob by himself, slouched in a chair and playing with one of Bell's machines. He grinned and rose from his chair when he saw Aleck walk through the door. "Ah, the inventor returns."

"My apologies," Aleck said, hanging up his coat beside Jacob's top hat and trying hard to remain casual. "I thought it would be prudent to guide your sister to the tower, to make sure she was safe."

"Oh, she'll be all right on her own. She always is." Jacob smirked. "What, did you peg us for a dangerous sort?"

"Well, your weapons would certainly suggest as much." Aleck turned slowly to face him, trying hard to avoid Jacob's eyes; he'd never been the best at eye contact, especially now, when his intense attraction to the man was so hard to ignore. "Er - can I offer you some tea?"

"No, I'm all right." Jacob was still wearing that clever, knowing smile. "I suppose I should acquire a copy of that grappling device, shouldn't I? Otherwise Evie and I will have to share."

"Ah - of course! I can make you another one." Aleck hastened to his workbench, recalling easily what the device had looked like. It shouldn't take him long to make a copy, and it wouldn't require too many pieces. He was sure he had a spare spring lying around, and a piece that would fit into the gauntlet to hold it in place, if -

His heart stopped in his chest as Jacob moved very close beside him to watch what he was doing; they were almost close enough to touch. It took a truly immense effort not to look at him, focusing on his work and trying to remember how all these little bits and pieces fit together through the frenetic clattering of his heart. As he worked, he tried to maintain the conversation. "I'll have to change the design a bit, to accomodate the differences in your weight distribution," he said. "You have more muscle in the shoulders and hips, and I imagine your arms can take a bit more stress."

"Oh, all kinds of stress," Jacob said with a mischievous grin, and Aleck's heart skipped a beat as he realized how entirely suggestive that had sounded. He swallowed hard and tried to keep his attention on his work; he needed to banish the thoughts that were going through his mind, before they got him into trouble.

"You must get into all sorts of trouble, then," he said.

Jacob smiled. "Oh, all sorts," he said, and reached out to lightly brush hair away from Aleck's cheek; Aleck nearly fainted at the contact. "You know, Henry told me a lot about you."

"Did he now?" Aleck squeaked; he thought he might pass out if Jacob kept this up.

"Yes." Jacob's fingers began to caress his face. "But he didn't tell me how beautiful you are."

Aleck seemed to have lost the power of speech. "Er -" he tried, feebly. "Mr. Frye -"

"Am I being too forward?" Jacob dropped his hand to his side, suddenly sounding sheepish. "Of course I am. I'm making you uncomfortable, aren't I?"

"N-no," Aleck stuttered; he had completely forgotten about what he was doing, and his fingers trembled on the grappler mechanism he'd been trying so hard to work on, uncertain of where to go next. "I - I'm just not very good at this, Mr. Frye."

"I'm sorry," Jacob said, sounding genuinely apologetic. "I didn't mean to get you all ruffled. Let's pretend that never happened, shall we?" He coughed awkwardly and moved away from Aleck, leaning casually against the workbench. "I'll just watch you work."

Aleck blushed fiercely as he finished the mechanism, trying to think of what he wanted to do about this. He'd just received a very overt offer, the first obvious come-on he'd had in a long time, and he had no idea how to react - especially when it was an offer from an Assassin, and a damn beautiful one at that. What did he say?

"Mr. Frye," he said, hesitantly.

"Bah, don't call me that." Jacob waved a dismissive hand. "Just call me Jacob."

"Jacob, then." Aleck nervously held out a hand, trying not to look at him; his heart was still tip-tapping anxiously against his ribcage, like a caged bird, and he didn't dare meet Jacob's gaze again, for fear of doing something reckless. "Give me your bracer again. I've finished the mechanism."

The Assassin watched him thoughtfully for a moment, then placed his hand in Aleck's, palm up; he watched as the inventor carefully fitted the new mechanism into place. "I really am sorry," he said. "I was making you very uncomfortable. I didn't mean to be so -"

"Don't worry about it." Aleck made final adjustments to the mechanism, not meeting Jacob's eyes. "You're rather charming, you know, for a murderous Assassin."

Jacob smiled wryly as he watched Aleck work. "You _are _interested, aren't you?"

Aleck said nothing, but his hands had long ago stopped fiddling with the mechanism; and before he could stop himself, he had placed one on Jacob's hip, tentatively questing over his stomach. Now it was Jacob's turn to freeze in surprise as Aleck brushed over his abdomen and flirted with the idea of moving southward, wondering with a sudden, manic eagerness what he might find there. His mind was hammering in the realization that he was not only touching an Assassin - a _man _\- but taking the initiative to do so, something he normally wouldn't do if his lapels were on fire. And it made it infinitely better when he realized that Jacob was not stopping him.

"Why, Aleck," Jacob said, in a low undertone that made a shiver travel down Aleck's spine. "You're full of surprises, aren't you?"

Aleck took a slow breath; his fingers were inches from the fly of Jacob's trousers, and he wanted so badly to close the distance - but he knew that Evie could be back at any moment, and they should avoid being found in any compromising positions. "We can't do this now," he murmured, and took his hand away; he heard Jacob exhale, and that made him smile. Clearly he was having just as strong an effect on Jacob as the man was having on him. "But perhaps, if you were to come back later..."

"Now, Aleck," Jacob scolded lightly, and Aleck's heart stopped as the Assassin moved closer, nuzzling his neck; his breath was warm on Aleck's ear. "You can't tantalize a man like that and expect to get away with it."

Aleck couldn't breathe; it seemed that all of his senses had fled as Jacob pressed the first, soft kiss to his neck, then moved up to gently bite his ear. "Jacob," he protested, weakly, even as he leaned in for more. "You're not listening."

"I make a habit of it." Jacob kissed his Adam's apple, and his hands gravitated to Aleck's hips, squeezing gently; and Aleck forgot everything except the way the Assassin felt pressed up against him, smelling like ale and leather and smoke. _You can't do this, _his mind screamed, _you don't do this with men you just met, _but he wasn't listening, and he lifted his chin to meet Jacob's kiss almost on instinct, melting into his arms as Jacob's teeth got involved and there was a little more touching than was probably wise - he felt Jacob's own fingers creeping down to his belt, considering, and he broke the kiss off hastily.

"You're going to get us both killed at this rate," he managed; his heart felt like it was going to explode, and the taste of Jacob's kiss still lingered on his lips. "Your sister will hang me."

"Oh, stuff it," Jacob murmured, and started to pull him back in - but then both of them froze, hearing footsteps on the roof.

They hastily scrambled to do something innocent, Jacob sitting in a chair and Aleck rushing to look busy with his tools. When the door opened, they appeared to be peaceably discussing the latest telegram; Aleck beamed graciously at Evie as she approached. "Ah, Miss Frye! I was just showing Jacob the first messages received via the mended lines."

"How lovely," Evie said, and gave Jacob a meaningful look. "I suppose you'll be needing a second rope launcher, then?"

"Oh, no. You can keep the rope launcher. We've, er - we've managed to procure another one for your brother." Aleck tried to make it sound non-suspicious, and Jacob helpfully showed Evie his gauntlet, with a knowing smirk in Aleck's direction.

It didn't help, of course, that after Evie left, Jacob lingered in the doorway, grinning cheekily. "If you'd ever like to call on me again," he said, "I'll be at the pub just down the road. In case you'd like to finish _discussing_."

Aleck tried very hard not to blush. "I'll consider it."

Jacob grinned. "I bet you will," he said, and hopped on a carriage with a cheery tip of his top hat; Aleck watched him ride off, unsure whether he was excited or furious that the Assassin had nearly seduced him within an hour of meeting him - and had offered to finish the job. _Cheeky bastard, _he thought, shutting the door of his laboratory and resolving to never see him again.

Definitely not.


	2. In Which The Inventor Has A Date

_II: In which the inventor has a date_

Aleck had promised himself he would never see Jacob Frye again. He'd indulged himself enough with that kiss, the forbidden, dangerous moment of weakness that still made his heart race when he thought about it. He couldn't let himself do anything like that again. He told himself this as he idly put on his best suit coat, adjusted his favorite bow tie, did his hair, checked his reflection, and hovered by the door of his laboratory with Jacob's last words floating through his mind: _the pub down the street_. Maybe he'd pay that pub a visit. Out of scientific curiosity, of course.

But that would require going outside, and Alexander Bell was not very good at going outside.

He took a deep breath, steadied his jangling nerves, and tentatively pushed the door of the lab open - it wouldn't kill him to venture out for a few minutes, would it? He stepped out into a rainy day in London, the bustle of Southwark laborers rushing to their jobs and street children playing in puddles on the sidewalk; he opened an umbrella against the wind and headed for the pub at a brisk pace, water sloshing noisily around his boots. The rain drummed gently on the rooftops around him and the umbrella over his head, making a discordant rhythm as he squinted uncertainly through the mist and fog of London. Where was this pub supposed to be, anyway?

There - a green sign. He walked quickly towards it, dodging pedestrians and shielding himself from the rain; he ducked his head away from the glancing eyes and searching gazes of passersby, disliking eye contact. Being shut away in a dusty laboratory for hours at a time, with only his machines and notebooks to talk to, had done a real number on his social confidence over the years, and he wondered if he would even be able to speak to Jacob if he saw him. The man had a bad habit of turning him to a stuttering mess whenever he was around.

_Blast him, _Aleck thought, as he stepped into the pub and shook rain off his umbrella. He shot a cursory glance around as he entered - he didn't see Jacob, but it was crowded and hard to see, so perhaps he was here after all. He coughed awkwardly into his sleeve and began making his slow way towards the counter, resolving to have a ginger ale and -

"Well, well. Lookie here."

Aleck whirled. Two Blighters - one a thick and muscular brute, the other a lean and pasty-faced gangster - sat at the bar with glasses of ale, leering at him. "The great inventor," one of them teased, "out of his dingy old lab at last."

"What're you doing here, Mary?" the other demanded, in a slurred, drunken Southwark accent. "Come to find a boyfriend?"

"Shove off," Aleck said, trying to be brave even as his heart started pounding; he didn't like the way they were looking at him, let alone the way they were talking, and was suddenly dearly sorry he'd come here at all. "Mind your own business, why don't you?"

"What, are you scared of us, little Mary?" The brute gave a nasty, mocking grin. "Think we've got a little sissy here, James."

"Oh, I bet." The lean one rose from his chair, and Aleck stepped back on instinct, terrified. "How 'bout we teach him that we don't want any fairies in our bar?"

Aleck tried to stammer out a retort, but he was too frightened to get the words out; the man was advancing towards him, fist rising, and he didn't know what to do. The bar was too crowded to flee, and people were looking his way -

"Oi! Leave him alone!"

A hand flew out of the crowd, slamming the smaller Blighter back against the bar hard enough that Aleck heard bones crack; the Blighter yelled in surprise and pain, and the big brute surged to his feet to defend him, but quailed when he saw Jacob Frye step out of the crowd, eyes burning with rage, one hand fisted in the struggling Blighter's shirt.

"You want some too, fuckface?" Jacob asked, low and dangerous. "Because I've got plenty."

"W-we're sorry!" the Blighter squeaked, and sprinted out of the bar; Jacob let go of the other, and the man scrambled away so fast that he nearly knocked a table over.

"Leave him alone!" Jacob bellowed after their retreating backs. "Or I'll rip out your fucking spines and ram them up your ass!"

Aleck trembled as Jacob turned slowly back to him, the rage melting away in an instant; the Assassin was _terrifying _when he was angry, but the look on his face as he moved to check on Aleck was nothing but worry. "Are you all right?" he asked, urgently looking Aleck over for injuries. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm okay," Aleck managed; his heart was rattling again, but for a very different reason than before. "They didn't get close enough."

"Good." Jacob sighed. "I should have been more careful. I'll make sure no Blighter ever sets foot in this district again." He tried to smile, but Aleck could see the look in his eyes, and realized that he wasn't the only one who had been frightened. "Can I buy you a drink? For your nerves?"

"Oh, no, I don't drink," Aleck said hastily. "Just ginger ale for me."

"Coming right up."

And that was how Aleck found himself sitting at the bar with Jacob, nursing a ginger ale and trying to figure out what he wanted to say. Jacob, meanwhile, kept shooting him worried looks; clearly he knew that Aleck was more shaken than he'd let on.

"They're just idiots," he said, as Aleck took a sip of his drink. "Don't listen to them. They can barely figure out the right way to hold their rifles."

"I know." Aleck's fingers quivered on his glass as he set it down. "It's just..."

"What?" Jacob studied him thoughtfully. "You can tell me."

"Nothing. It's nothing." Aleck sighed and stared at his glass. "I'm glad you were here. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Bah, I'm sure you would have thought of something. You're a smart man." Jacob shot him a wide, unmistakably flirty grin. "But since you're here... I was wondering if you'd like to do something with me."

"Oh?" Aleck tentatively allowed himself a laugh at that; despite being frightened out of his wits a few minutes ago, he found himself relaxing a bit, and told himself firmly that it had nothing to do with a charming, flirtatious Assassin who was slowly winning him over. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, that depends." Jacob wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Are you afraid of heights?"

Aleck snorted into his glass. "You can't be serious."

"Whatever do you mean?" Jacob sighed dramatically. "Well, if you don't _want _a scenic rooftop tour of London..."

That made Aleck's heart miss a beat. "You're going to take me up _there?" _He only realized the innuendo when Jacob shot him a deeply amused look, and backpedaled hastily. "Er - that's not what I meant."

"Of course." Jacob seemed like he was trying not to laugh. "But I didn't get an answer."

Aleck pretended to consider it for a while; he already knew his answer, but he wanted to delay a little longer. There was something about sitting here with Jacob Frye, at a bar, with rain pattering gently against the windows, that felt... nice. He hadn't felt this close to someone in a long time, and yet so oddly far away.

But he could change that soon enough. "Yes," he said, decisively, even as his heart jumped into his throat. "I'd very much like an adventure."

"Well, that's that." And Jacob rose, beaming like it was Christmas, and cordially offered Aleck his arm; and Aleck realized with a start that the Assassin had been worried he'd say no. _Is Jacob nervous around me, too? _he wondered, as Jacob looped his arm around Aleck's and set his heart juttering all over again. Somehow he'd never pictured the Assassin being anxious around anyone, but it made the man seem oddly vulnerable, nothing like his usual suave, overconfident self.

Of course, that impression didn't last long, because Jacob gave him a look that could not have been anything but seductive and murmured, "May I escort you, my good gentleman?"

"How knightly of you." Aleck smiled, feeling like he was walking on air; they walked out of the bar together, arm in arm like a royal couple, ignoring the incredulous looks and whispers behind them. _Let them stare_, Aleck thought, feeling brave and reckless and perfectly unlike himself with Jacob at his side. The Assassin made him feel courageous and powerful, the way nothing had in a long time.

The rain had let up now, and it was only a light drizzle that brushed their shoulders as they weaved through the tangled streets of London, heading for what Jacob promised was "a very special view." Aleck had no idea where the Assassin was taking him, and his worry only increased when Jacob led him into a back alley and they made their slow way through the slums, upon which his anxiety crept up on him again and he began to wonder if there might be muggers or criminals or God knows who else lurking around every corner. "Jacob," he said, nervously. "I don't usually go in this part of town."

"I know." Jacob let go of his arm suddenly and took his hand, squeezing it gently, and that set Aleck's heart fluttering like a trapped moth. "But I'm the head of the Rooks, and they know what I can do if they cross me. I've got something of a reputation around these parts. You're safe with me."

Aleck tried to keep the conversation going, even though the feeling of holding hands with Jacob Frye made him suddenly want something a lot stronger than ginger ale. "What sort of reputation would that be, then?"

"Oh, you know." Jacob shot him a cheeky grin. "Seducing the local boys, and all that."

Aleck sighed. "You're insufferable."

"I try my best." Jacob stopped then, craning his neck to peer up at the rooftops. "Well, here we are. This is my favorite spot in the city."

"Up there?" Aleck stared, unsure if Jacob was serious or not. It just looked like a normal rooftop. "I don't see anything special about it."

"Oh, you'll see." Jacob grinned and lifted the arm with the grappling gauntlet. "You'll have to hold on to me, now."

"Ah." Aleck tried to hide his nervousness as he moved closer, carefully sliding his arms around Jacob's waist; despite this only being their second date, if what they were doing could even be considered dating, it felt far too natural to hold him like this, and reminded him yet again of the kiss that still haunted his mind as he nestled into Jacob's chest and fisted his hands in his coat. But he could not deny that the Assassin smelled like leather and whiskey and danger and soap, and - was that _cologne? _Aleck laughed aloud.

"What?" Jacob said, hearing him. "Did I say something?"

"You put on cologne for me," Aleck said, still chuckling. "You're really trying to get in my trousers now, aren't you?"

"Well, I wasn't going to take a bath in the Thames before I came here," Jacob said amusedly. "Now hold on."

He shot the grappling gauntlet, and a second later Aleck was airborne, yelping in surprise and clinging tightly to Jacob as they hurtled into the sky. In a moment their feet met the rooftops and he was stumbling slightly for purchase, a bit unsteady; Jacob caught him gently as he staggered. "Easy now. That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"That," Aleck panted, breaking free of his embrace to dust off his coat, "was _terrifying."_

Jacob grinned widely, and Aleck nearly sighed at how lovely he looked then, tousled and inordinately proud of himself. "Come on," he said. "Let me show you the view."

Aleck looked, and gasped. Jacob had been right - this was a beautiful view. They were perched on the west side of Southwark, gazing out at the river Thames and the towering cathedrals in the distance; the rainclouds huddled over the water made it look like a living painting, with ants crawling across it as carriages and people crossed over the bridge. "It's marvelous," he said, wonderingly.

He was so enchanted by the view, his eyes glued to the shimmering of the water and the rolling grey clouds overhead, that he barely felt it when Jacob lifted his hand and pressed a soft kiss to his knuckles. He stilled as Jacob caressed his fingers and kissed slowly down his wrist, exploring the skin of his arm and nuzzling gently at the skin in the crook of his elbow. It wasn't sexual, but it still felt strangely intimate, like he was showing Jacob a new part of himself; he tried to remember how to breathe as Jacob moved up to his shoulder, kissing a scar there from when one of his inventions had malfunctioned and peppered him with shrapnel.

"You're beautiful, Aleck," he murmured.

And at that moment Aleck figured it was probably time to drop all pretense of gentlemanly, Victorian restraint.

"I suppose we should be official about this," he said, as Jacob nibbled his neck, his hands sliding over Aleck's chest in a way that was utterly impolite and wonderfully arousing. "If we're going to court each other, we're going to do it properly."

"I don't do anything properly," Jacob murmured, and the way he said it made Aleck laugh despite himself.

"Really, though," he said, as Jacob made a valiant effort to scoot closer and was met with Aleck shoving him mock-sternly back. "None of this _impropriety. _We have to be civil about this. We're not doing anything until we've gotten to know each other better."

"But that's so _boring," _Jacob whined. "I already know you well enough."

"Oh? Then what's my favorite color?"

Jacob hesitated for a moment, then sighed and untangled his hands from Aleck's shirt, giving him his best, most flirtatious look. "If I guess it, can I kiss you again?"

"Maybe," Aleck said, noncommittally. "Or maybe not."

"Blue," Jacob tried.

"No."

"Yellow?"

"Try again." Aleck smiled as Jacob made a pouty face. "Oh, come on, it's not too hard."

"Red, then," Jacob needled, and lit up when Aleck gave an affirmative grin. "Really? Did I get it?"

"Yes, you bloody insufferable Assassin." Aleck leaned in and planted a fierce kiss on his lips, and then broke away and patted his shoulder. "Now will you kindly get me back to my laboratory before the rain starts again? I have telegrams to monitor."

"Oh, very well." But Jacob was smirking as he drew Aleck close to him, holding him tightly to his side as he aimed his grappling hook at a nearby rooftop. "Just hold on tight."

It was probably a coincidence, Aleck decided, when he opened his front door the next morning and found a little bouquet of red flowers on his doorstep. After all, there were plenty of people in London who knew his favorite color. _But no one like Jacob, _he thought fondly as he arranged them in a vase on his desk, so he could admire them while he worked.

He suddenly wondered what he was searching for as he set back to work on his inventions. What was he trying to gain out of this? Had he really fallen head over heels for an Assassin, or was he just latching on to the first person who offered him the slightest escape from his constant loneliness?

No. He knew what he felt when he looked at Jacob Frye, and it certainly wasn't desperation. Or maybe it was, but it was a different kind of desperation - not so much the lonely kind, but the kind that made him want nothing more than to curl up in Jacob's arms and stay there forever, warm and comfortable and safe.

He sighed as he picked up his tools. _I'm hopeless, aren't I?_


	3. In Which Jacob Makes Poor Decisions

_A/N: Well, this was supposed to be the smut chapter, but now these two nerds love each other and it ended up being fluff instead. Maybe in the next one, I guess. lol_

* * *

_III: In which Jacob makes poor decisions (again)_

Aleck usually had a habit of spending his Sundays alone, nestling himself into his armchair by the fireplace for a good book or sitting in his study tinkering with his timepieces; sometimes he even ventured outside, wandering down to the market to buy himself some expensive tea. And every once in a while, when he wanted a good laugh, he went to church.

But on this particular Sunday, his plans fell out the window at the exact moment Jacob Frye wandered into his lab without knocking or being asked, and Aleck, who had been in the middle of carefully monitoring a chemical reaction, nearly poured acid onto his hand. "Jacob!" he exclaimed, surprised, and then scrambled to look polite and innocuous when Evie entered behind him. "Er - Miss Frye. How good to see you both."

"Hello, Mr. Bell," Evie said, with an exasperated look at Jacob, who was positively glowing. It warmed Aleck's heart to see how happy the Assassin was to see him, but he somehow managed to keep a straight face as he set down the bottle of acid and snatched up the newspaper he'd gotten that morning.

"Have you seen Starrick's latest lies?" he asked, waving the paper at them so they could see the outrageous headlines. To his delight, Jacob broke into a grin and feigned an incredulous gasp.

"Lies?" he protested, loudly, as Evie glared at him with a look that said, _I can't believe we're related._ "In a newspaper?"

"Shocking, I agree," Aleck said, with a barely suppressed grin; he liked when his Assassin got into a theatrical mood.

Evie sighed, clearly determined to ignore their antics. "What transpired from the new line you were establishing?" she asked, in a tone of voice that said she was trying to remind Jacob why they had come here. "Is it working?"

"Oh, blimey, I almost forgot to tell you." Aleck fumbled to grab another sheaf of paper. "The cables we ordered never arrived. And then, we intercepted this." He showed it to Evie, who frowned worriedly. "A message mentioning cargo seized at College Wharf."

"That'll be your cables, then," Evie said, with a grim smile. "Let's _un-_seize it."

"Excellent," Jacob said, lighting up at the prospect of doing something dangerous. "I'll do it myself. Those Blighters won't even see my boys coming."

"Just be careful," Aleck said worriedly, before Evie could protest. "Don't get yourself killed."

"Who, me?" Jacob put on his most innocent look, already halfway out the door. "I would _never."_

Evie rolled her eyes as Jacob left, and looked at Aleck with a bemused expression. "I don't know what on earth you see in him," she said, "but I, for one, can't figure it out."

"He's quite charming," Aleck demurred, a bit sheepishly. "If slightly reckless and irritating at times."

"Just don't break his heart," Evie said, and she suddenly looked more serious than Aleck had ever seen her; her eyes glittered as she studied him, as though trying to pick him apart. "I've seen him go after your sort before, but I've never seen him so smitten with anyone before. You'd better believe I'll be keeping my eye on you, Mr. Bell. Understand?"

"I understand," Aleck said, shrinking away from her intense gaze; he knew she meant him no harm, of course, but of the two Frye twins, Evie was decidedly the scarier one. "I'm not leading him on. I really do care for him."

"Good," Evie said.

After she left, Aleck waited patiently for Jacob to return, fiddling idly with his gadgets; he made a cup of tea, then wandered upstairs to check on his laundry, wondering why it was taking so long and if he should be worried. No, of course not - Jacob would be fine, he always was. And yet, after an hour went by and there was still no sign of Jacob, Aleck began to be afraid despite himself. Surely he should be back by now. After all, the wharf wasn't very far away, and it usually only took him a short carriage ride to get here. What if something had happened?

He paced around downstairs for a while, trying to decide what to do. Obviously he couldn't call the police, because Jacob was a gang leader and an Assassin and didn't exactly have a stellar track record with the authorities. Nor could he attempt a rescue mission himself, not when just stepping outside gave him mild fits of anxiety. He was just resolving to go find Evie instead when his door opened again, and Jacob staggered unsteadily inside, grabbing the wall for support. "Aleck," he managed, and his voice was so weak and shaky that Aleck's heart stopped; he rushed to help support the Assassin, and Jacob slumped gratefully against him, struggling over to a chair to sit down.

"What happened to you?" Aleck said, terrified by how pale the Assassin was; the man was struggling to breathe, so Aleck fearfully loosened his collar and took off his overcoat to clear his airway. "Where are you hurt? How badly?"

"Poison," Jacob managed, before he was seized by a coughing fit; he doubled over, hacking and retching, as Aleck scrambled to fetch a bucket and a blanket. "Starrick knew I was coming. Set a trap."

"Relax. I've got you." Aleck set the bucket down by his feet and draped the blanket around his shoulders, trying to remember what to do when someone was poisoned. He remembered something about fresh air, so he rushed to open the laboratory windows and get a draft going, hearing Jacob coughing and choking behind him. "Jacob?"

"I can't breathe," Jacob forced out, and he sounded frightened for the first time since Aleck had met him. "I'm going to die."

"No you're not. Just try to relax." Aleck hastened back to his side. "Do you think you're going to vomit?"

Jacob shook his head wordlessly; he reached for Aleck's hand, and Aleck took it, watching worriedly as the Assassin took slow, rattling breaths of air. He could see color returning to Jacob's face, and he seemed less shaky than before, but Aleck wasn't going to leave him when he was in this state.

"Do you want to lie down?" he asked. "You can borrow my bed."

Jacob managed a grin. "Already tired of waiting, are you?"

"Very funny." Aleck sighed. "But if you can make veiled innuendos at me, it means you're probably not going to die."

The Assassin closed his eyes, then tried to rise; but he swayed, clearly dizzy, and fell back against Aleck, who hastened to support him again. "Sorry," he said weakly.

"It's all right." Aleck coaxed him slowly up the stairs, one step at a time. "You know, I never learned _your _favorite color."

Jacob tried to laugh, but dissolved into another coughing fit. "Green," he managed at last, when he had breath again. "My favorite color is green."

"Ah, so that explains why the Rooks look like a university softball team," Aleck joked.

Jacob chuckled feebly. "What, you don't like it? I thought it would make them stand out."

"It's hideous. They look like they fell into a vat of toxic waste at the mustard factory."

Jacob snorted. "You're bad at jokes."

"And you're positively horrible at not dying." Aleck guided him into his bedroom, thinking amusedly that this wasn't exactly how he had pictured bringing Jacob up here for the first time. That particular fantasy, it seemed, would have to wait. "Now lie down, and I'll fetch you some tea. And _don't move_."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Jacob murmured, as Aleck laid him gently down in the blankets and fluffed the pillows for him. "Your bed is comfy."

"I like it better with you in it," Aleck said, and gave Jacob a quick kiss on the forehead. "Now stay."

"Fine," Jacob groused, but Aleck could almost feel him smiling as he headed downstairs, with the intention of making the poor man some much-deserved tea.

When he returned, Jacob was fast asleep and snoring softly. Aleck sighed fondly and stood there in the doorway for a while, unable to deny that Jacob looked adorable when he was sleeping; then he shook himself and set the teapot down on the bedside table, deciding to leave it there for when he woke up. But as he turned to leave, he felt a hand tugging on his sleeve; Jacob had cracked open an eye, and was pawing sleepily at him, like a drowsy bear.

"Yes?" Aleck asked, amused.

"Stay with me," Jacob murmured, sounding a bit woozy; and even though Aleck knew the Assassin was probably not in a proper state of mind, he couldn't resist the invitation. He slipped carefully into bed beside the exhausted Assassin, marveling at the fact that Jacob Frye was in his bed and he, Aleck, was allowing it. As he adjusted the pillow to find a comfortable position, Jacob nestled closer, resting his head on Aleck's chest with a soft, exhausted sigh; and Aleck tentatively began to stroke his forehead, tangling his fingers in Jacob's hair and thinking fondly that maybe he was beginning to like this whole courting business after all.

"You're different when you're sleeping," he said quietly, almost without thinking; Jacob opened an eye again, looking up at him with something like thoughtfulness. "You look... peaceful."

Jacob made a soft humming sound, closing his eyes again. "Maybe it's just when I'm with you," he said, and even though Aleck knew the man was surely confused and sleepy and entirely indisposed, it made his heart glow nonetheless.

He kissed Jacob's forehead and left him dozing in bed, and since he was out and about anyway, he went to the tailor's and bought Jacob a new top hat, a bottle of Merlin & Arthur Imperial Stout, and a dashing tie, figuring he might as well put together a get-well-soon present for his... what were they now? It was far too early to call Jacob his partner, and they hadn't done anything physical enough to suggest they might be able to call themselves lovers. But maybe they didn't need labels, or titles, or formality. Perhaps they could just be Jacob and Aleck for now. Perhaps that was enough.

Whatever the case, he picked out the tie with a smile. He made sure to get a green one.


End file.
